My boys have been wearing 'crocs' (fake ones from Zellers/Payless), and I noticed 2 of them have rashes on their feet. I don't know if it's from the sun (playing barefoot in the yard), overheating in running shoes or from these. I have very sensitive skin and am able to wear them. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

There was a huuuge deal with WalMart's "sand n sun" flip flops a couple of years ago, ppl got these awful contact rashes and weren't able to figure out what chemical caused it cuz they were made in....drumroll, please....China!!! WalMart ended up recalling all those particular shoes, but still sell things from the same manufacturer. It may be a similar circumstance. I hope they get better!!! :/

Women who have a rubber allergy can wear undergarments with an elastic called spandex if they do not have rubber-backed fasteners or edges. Girdles and bras with no rubber are also available. Some cases of allergic contact dermatitis from shoes are caused by ingredients in the rubber used in the construction of the shoe. Adhesives in shoes can also cause problems. Even leather shoes may contain adhesives. Shoes without rubber should be substituted.

My daughter was given a selection of hand me down princess shoes a couple of years ago - you know, those horrible see through plastic ones? Anyway, she fell in love with them and wore them all the time around the house. Then she started scratching the soles of her feet and I noticed a weird rash that was sort of raised but hard to see on tough skin. The doctor said it was a type of eczema (can't remember the name) that is not common and prescribed a moderatedly strong steroid cream. However, I was suspicious of the shoes and got her to stop wearing them. The rash went away within a couple of days and no problems since. I think her already sensitive skin was exacerbated by being in contact with plastic (with no socks in between) and not being able to breathe for hours and hours at a time! I go for leather shoes now whenever I can!

We had almost this very question to Dr. Sandy Skotnicki-Grant in "Ask the Dermatologist" in the Fall issue.

The question was: "Over the summer, my 12-year-old daughter developed an itchy, scaly red rash on her feet. Her doctor prescribed a hydrocortisone cream that helped, but the rash kept recurring. Now that she’s not wearing sandals as often, the rash is getting better. Could she be allergic to something in her Crocs or sandals?"

Dr. S-G replied:
"Your daughter seems to be suffering from a condition called Juvenile Plantar Dermatosis, rather than an allergy. The dermatosis is characterized by a dry, glazed, cracked rash on the sole of the foot and is seen almost exclusively in children between 3 and 14 years old.

Changes in the composition of children’s socks and shoes in the last 25 years may be responsible for the emergence of this disease. Natural materials such as cotton and wool have been replaced by synthetic nylons and plastics, which are less porous and don’t breathe. In addition, coatings designed to improve the durability of the shoe’s surface result in less permeability. Together these elements result in a hot, humid environment, leaving the skin in a constantly damp state, and promoting fungal growth, bacteria and irritation.

Some children develop this condition even when wearing sandals, usually synthetic ones such as Crocs or Tevas. Friction from perspiration may play a role, but the non-porous material trapping moisture against the foot’s skin is more likely the culprit.

Treatment includes changing footwear from non-porous shoes to leather ones, as well as the use of 100 per cent cotton socks. However, these changes do not always help, so a topical barrier cream with hydrocortisone prescribed by a dermatologist may be needed. The good news is that the condition usually ends with the start of puberty.

Last week my wife, who wears her crocs with pleasure, finaly bought me a pair.
They were a new "man"-croc version with leather over the front part and rubber and velcro(leather-covered") straps.
After a day my left ankle started itching and turned purple in a 2inch circle.

After another two days of wearing the shoes, (last weekend we walked quit a bit) the center-top of both feet started to turn purple and itchy. In the morning the feet were burning and the skin turned dry/raw.

Today I called the Crocs store and they were happy to refund the money.

Thanks for all of the replies, and information. I bought both boys some real crocs, in slightly smaller sizes than they were wearing, the others were too floppy and I think it was more abraisive as a result. It seems to have helped a lot. The rashes were confined to very small areas, not the whole foot. We were at the Drs and showed him the toe rash, he said to alternate between a prescription steroid cream and polysporin (1x/day each) until it was fully cleared up.

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